Nooks and Corners of Lancashire and Cheshire: A Wayfarer's Notes in the Palatine Counties, Historical, Legendary, Genealogical, and Descriptive

James Croston

Nooks and Corners of Lancashire and Cheshire

A Wayfarer's Notes in the Palatine Counties, Historical, Legendary, Genealogical, and Descriptive

Published by Good Press, 2022

goodpress@okpublishing.info

EAN 4064066248246

Table of Contents

PREFACE.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

SUBSCRIBERS.

BOOKSELLERS.

CHAPTER I. A RAILWAY RAMBLE—THE ROMAN CITY ON THE RIBBLE—A DAY-DREAM AT RIBCHESTER.

CHAPTER II. MARPLE HALL—THE BRADSHAWS—COLONEL HENRY BRADSHAW THE STORY OF THE REGICIDE.

CHAPTER III. OVER SANDS BY THE CARTMEL SHORE—WRAYSHOLME TOWER—THE LEGEND OF THE LAST WOLF.

CHAPTER IV. AN AFTERNOON AT GAWSWORTH—THE FIGHTING FITTONS—THE CHESHIRE WILL CASE AND ITS TRAGIC SEQUEL—HENRY NEWCOME—LORD FLAME.

CHAPTER V. THE COLLEGE AND THE WIZARD WARDEN OF MANCHESTER.

CHAPTER VI. BEESTON CASTLE.

CHAPTER VII. WHALLEY AND ITS ABBEY—MITTON CHURCH AND ITS MONUMENTS—THE SHERBURNES—THE JESUITS’ COLLEGE, STONYHURST.

CHAPTER VIII. ADLINGTON AND ITS EARLIER LORDS—THE LEGHS—THE LEGEND OF THE SPANISH LADY’S LOVE—THE HALL.

CHAPTER IX. THE BYROMS—KERSALL CELL—JOHN BYROM—THE LAUREATE OF THE JACOBITES—THE FATAL ’45.

CHAPTER X. HALL-I’-TH’-WOOD—THE STORY OF SAMUEL CROMPTON, THE INVENTOR OF THE SPINNING MULE.

INDEX.

PREFACE.

Table of Contents

This

volume is not put forth as professedly a history of the places described, the Author’s aim having been rather to seize upon and group from such accredited sources of information as were available, the leading facts and incidents relating to special localities, and to present the scenes of human life and action in a readable and attractive form by divesting, in some degree, the tame and uninviting facts of archæology of their deadly dulness; to bring into prominent relief the remarkable occurrences and romantic incidents of former days, and, by combining with the graver and more substantial matters of history an animated description of the physical features and scenic attractions of the localities in which those incidents occurred, to render them more interesting to the general reader.

A popular writer—the Authoress of Our Village—has said that she cared less for any reputation she might have gained as a writer of romance, than she did for the credit to be derived from the less ambitious but more useful office of faithfully uniting and preserving those fragments of tradition, experience, and biography, which give to history its living interest. In the same spirit the following pages have been written. There are within the Palatine Counties of Lancaster and Chester many objects and places, many halls and manor-houses that possess an abiding interest from the position they occupy in our rough island story, and from their being associated, if not with events of the highest historic import, yet at least with many of those subordinate scenes and occurrences—those romantic incidents and half-forgotten facts that illustrate the inner life and character of bygone generations. These lingering memorials of a period the most chivalrous and the most romantic in our country’s annals may occasionally have received the notice of the precise topographer and the matter-of-fact antiquary, but, though possessing in themselves much that is picturesque and attractive, they have rarely been placed before the reader in any other guise than that in which the soberest narrative could invest them. In them the romance of centuries seems to be epitomised, and to the seeing eye they are the types and emblems of the changing life of our great nation; legend and tradition gather round, and weird stories and scraps of family history are associated with them that bring vividly before the mind’s eye the domestic life and manners of those who have gone before, and show in how large a degree the Past may be made a guide for the Present and the Future.

It only remains for the Author to acknowledge his obligations to those friends who, by information communicated, and in other ways, have aided him in his design. His thanks are due to

John Eglington Bailey

, Esq., F.S.A., of Stretford;

John Oldfield Chadwick

, Esq., F.S.S., F.G.S., of London; Dr.

Samuel Crompton

, of Cranleigh, Surrey; Lieutenant-Colonel

Fishwick

, F.S.A., of Rochdale; and

Thomas Helsby

, Esq., of the Inner Temple. He is also indebted to the kindness of

Gilbert J. French

, Esq., of Bolton, for the loan of the several engravings which add interest to the story of Samuel Crompton.

Upton Hall, Prestbury, Cheshire,

December, 1881.

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Table of Contents

SUBSCRIBERS.

Table of Contents

Adshead, G. H.

, Esq., Fern Villas, Bolton Road, Pendleton, nr. M’chester.

Andrew, Frank

, Esq., Ashton-under-Lyne.

Ardern, L.

, Jun., Esq., Hazel Grove, Cheshire.

Armitage, Elkanah

, Esq., The Rookery, Pendleton, Manchester.

Armstrong, Thomas

, Esq., F.R.M.S., Highfield Bank, Urmston.

Arnold, Henry

, Esq., Blackley, near Manchester.

Ashton, J. T.

, Esq., Wellington Road South, Stockport.

Ashworth, Charles E.

, Esq., Fairfield, Manchester.

Ashworth, George

, Esq., 3. Charlotte Street, Manchester.

Ascroft, W. T.

, Esq., 3, Stamford Street, Altrincham.

Aspland, L. M.

, Esq., 47, Linden Gardens, South Kensington, London, S. W.

Asquith, D.

, Esq., Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Offices, Manchester.

Atkinson, George

, Esq., Stockport.

Atherton, W. H.

, Esq., Southbank Road, Southport.

Athenæum

, The, Manchester.

Attock, F.

, Esq., Somerset House, Newton Heath.

Bailey, J. Eglinton

, F.S.A., Egerton Villa, Stretford.

Barlow, J. R.

, Esq., Edgeworth, near Bolton.

Barnes, Alfred

, Esq., Farnworth.

Barnes, Thomas

, Esq., Farnworth.

Barton, Richard

, Esq., West Leigh Lodge, West Leigh, Lancashire.

Bayley, William

, Esq., Craybrow, Lymm, Warrington.

Bazley

, Sir

Thos.

, Bart., Eyford Park, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire.

Beaman

, Mrs., Haydock Lodge, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Lancashire.

Beales, Robert

, Esq., M.D., J.P. (Mayor), Congleton.

Bellis, Thomas

, Esq., Northenden, near Manchester.

Berry, James

, Esq., Jun., Palatine Square, Burnley.

Beswick, John

, Esq., Victoria Hotel, Strangeways, Manchester (2 copies).

Bibby, W. H.

, Esq., Levenshulme.

Birch, Herbert

, Esq., The Vicarage, Blackburn.

Birley, Hugh

, Esq., M.P., Moorland, Withington.

Birley, J. Shepherd

, Esq., Moss Lee, Bolton-le-Moors.

Bleasdell

, The Rev.

J.

, Henry Square, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Boddington, Henry

, Jun., Esq., Strangeways Brewery, Manchester.

Bolger

, Miss

Sarah

, Atherton, Bournemouth, Hants.

Bolton, John

, Esq., Southfield, Blackburn.

Bone, John W.

, Esq., F.S.A., 26, Bedford Place, Russell Square, London.

Booth, Aaron

, Jun., Esq., 4, South Street, Albert Square, Manchester.

Booth, James

, Esq., 52, Todmorden Road, Burnley.

Boote, Daniel

, Esq., Oakfield, Ashton-on-Mersey.

Bourne

, Sir

James

, Heathfield, Liverpool.

Bowdler, William Henry

, Esq., J.P., Kirkham, Lancashire.

Bowes

, Dr.

John

, The Blue Coat School, Warrington.

Bowker, S. J.

, Esq., 42, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester.

Boulton, Isaac Watt

, Esq., J.P., Stamford House, Ashton-under-Lyne (2 copies).

Bradshaw, Christopher

, Esq., Kenwood, Ellesmere Park, Eccles.

Bradshawe, George Paris

, Esq., 30, Gloucester Street, Warwick Square, London.

Bradshawe-Isherwood

, Mrs., Marple Hall, Stockport.

Bradshaw, S.

, Esq., 241, Broad Street, Pendleton.

Bradwell, Dennis

, Esq., J.P. Higher Daisy Bank, Congleton.

Bramwell, Robert

, Esq., 5, Green Street, Ardwick Green.

Bragg, Harry

, Esq., The Mount, Blackburn.

Bransby, William

, Esq., 46, Deansgate, Manchester.

Brown

, Rev. Canon, M.A., Staley Vicarage, Stalybridge.

Brownhill, John

, Esq., Alderley, Cheshire.

Bridgeman

, Rev. The Honble.

G. T. O.

, Wigan Hall, Wigan.

Broadbent, Geo. Harry

, Esq., L.K.Q.C.P.I. and L.M., Ashton-under-Lyne.

Broadbent, Edwin

, Esq., Reddish, near Stockport.

Brockbank, W.

, Esq., Pall Mall, Manchester.

Buckley

, Mr., Strangeways Brewery.

Budd

, Mrs.

M.

, Cedar Villa, Wilbraham Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.

Bulteel, S. W.

, Esq., Victoria Park, Manchester.

Burgess, Samuel

, Esq., Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Offices, Manchester.

Burton, Alfred

, Esq., 37, Cross Street, Manchester.

Burghope, William

, Esq., Albert Villa, near Malvern.

Burton, Joseph

, Esq., Lyme View, Bramhall, Cheshire.

Burton, J. H.

, Esq., F.R.H.S., 5, Trafalgar Square, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Burton

, Mrs.

Lingen

, Abbey House, Shrewsbury.

Bustard, J.

, Esq., Summer Lane, Barnsley.

Calderbank

, Captain, Stockport.

Cameron, John D.

, Esq., The Grove, Sale, Cheshire.

Carrington, H. H., Smith

, Esq., Whaley Bridge, near Stockport

Carver

, Mrs.

J.

, Sunnyside, Whalley Range, Manchester.

Carr, John

, Esq., 2, McDonald’s Lane, Manchester.

Casson, E.

, Esq., Raper Lodge. Bramhall Park, Cheshire.

Chadwick, T.

, Esq., The Grove, Urmston, near Manchester.

Chetham’s Library

, Manchester.

Chorlton, Thomas

, Esq., 32, Brasenose Street, Manchester.

Chorlton, William

, Esq., Fairfield, near Manchester.

Chorlton, Thomas

, Esq., 32, Brazenose Street, Manchester.

Christy, Richard

, Esq., Poynton Towers, Cheshire.

Clare, Charles Leigh

, Esq., Park Lane, Higher Broughton, Manchester.

Coates

, The Misses, Sunnyside, Crawshawbooth, Lancashire.

Collins, James

, Esq., Ada Villa, Old Trafford, Manchester.

Coombes

, The Rev.

G. F.

, B.A., Portwood, Stockport.

Cooper, Edward

, Esq., 10, Downing Street, Manchester.

Cooper, Thomas

, Esq., Mossley House, Congleton.

Coultate, William Miller

, Esq., F.R.C.S., J.P., 1, Yorke Street, Burnley.

Cowie

, Very Rev.

B. Morgan

, D.D., Dean of Manchester, The Deanery, Manchester.

Craig, Andrew L.

, Esq., 148, Cheapside, London.

Craven, James

, Esq., Woodland House, Whalley Range, Manchester.

Creeke

, Major

A. B.

, Monkholm, near Burnley.

Cronkeshaw, John

, Esq., White Bull Hotel, Blackburn.

Cross, John

, Esq., Cambridge Villa, Heaton Norris.

Cross

, The Right Hon. Sir

R. A.

, M.P., Eccle Riggs, Broughton-in-Furness.

Crompton, Samuel

, Esq., M.D., Cranleigh, Surrey.

Cunliff, John

, Esq., Lomber Hey, near Stockport.

Curzon, N. C.

, Esq., Lockington Hall, Derby.

Cuff, James Henry

, Esq., Millington, near Altrincham.

Cunliffe, Edward Thomas

, Esq., Handforth.

Dale, Thomas

, Esq., J.P., Bank House, Park Road, Southport.

Davenport, E. H.

, Esq., Davenport, Bridgnorth, Shropshire.

Day

, Mr.

T. J.

, Heaton Moor, Stockport.

Devonshire

, His Grace the Duke of, Chatsworth, Chesterfield.

Dillon

, Rev.

Godfrey

, Radcliffe (2 copies).

Dobson, Matthew

, Esq., Cheadle.

Dorrington, James T.

, Esq., Bonishall, near Macclesfield.

Downing, William

, Esq., Springfield Olton, Acock Green, Birmingham.

Dyer, A. C.

, Esq., National Provincial Bank of England, Manchester.

Earwaker, J. P.

, Esq., M.A., F.S.A., Pensarn, Abergele.

Eastwood, J. A.

, Esq., 49, Princess Street, Manchester.

Eaton, C.

, Esq., 3, St. Edward Street, Leek.

Eckersley, C.

, Esq., Tyldesley, Lancashire.

Edgar, Robert A.

, Esq., Seymour Lodge, Heaton Chapel.

Edge, J. Broughton

, Esq., Broad Oak Park, Worsley.

Eilbeck, H.

, Esq., Ashton-upon-Mersey, Cheshire.

Ellison, John

, Esq., Stockport Road, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Elwen, George

, Esq., 11, Knott Street, Higher Broughton, Manchester.

Enion, J. C.

, Esq., Piccadilly, Manchester.

Equitable Co-operative Society

, Greenacres Hill, Oldham.

Evans

, Miss

Lydia

, The Heys, near St. Helens, Lancashire.

Evans, John

, Esq., 1, Mitton Street, Greenheys.

Eyre

, The Rev.

W. H.

, Stonyhurst College, near Blackburn (5 copies).

Fairbrother, Henry

, Esq., 106, Albert Square, Manchester.

Feather

, The Rev.

George

, The Vicarage, Glazebury, Leigh, Lancashire.

Fielden, John

, Esq., Dobroyd Castle, Todmorden (2 copies).

Fletcher, J. Shepherd

, Esq., M.D., 75, Lever Street, Manchester.

Fletcher, Thomas

, Esq., Lever House, near Bolton-le-Moors.

Folly, Thomas

, Esq., Warrington.

Foyster, J. Asher

, Esq., 5, Norfolk Street, Manchester.

Frankland, Geo.

, Esq., Express Office, Burnley.

Freston, T. W.

, Esq., 8, Watling Street, Manchester.

Fry, Joseph

, Esq., Manchester.

Gamble

, Colonel, Windlehurst, St. Helens.

Gartside, R. A.

, Esq., Dacres, Greenfield, near Manchester.

Gaskell, A. E.

, Esq., 255, Moss Lane, East, Manchester.

Gaskell, Josiah

, Esq., Burgrave Lodge, Ashton-in-Makerfield.

Gee, Charles

, Esq., Gorton, Manchester.

Gerard

, Major, Aspull House, Wigan.

Gibbons, Benjamin

, Esq., London Road, Manchester.

Gill, Richard

, Esq., 7, Pall Mall, Manchester.

Gilbody, A. H.

, Esq., Edge Lane, Chorlton-on-Medlock.

Goodman, Davenport

, Esq., Eccles House, Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Graham, Joseph

, Esq., Carlton Road, Burnley.

Graham

, Rev.

Philip

, Turncroft, Darwen.

Grantham, John

, Esq., 2, Rothsay Place, Old Trafford, Manchester.

Gray, Robert

, Esq., Greenfield House, Hyde.

Gradwell, Samuel

, Esq., Holmes Chapel, Cheshire.

Gratrix, Samuel

, Esq., J.P., West Point, Whalley Range, Manchester.

Greaves, George

, Esq., Hayfield.

Greenall

, Sir

Gilbert

, Bart., Walton Hall, Warrington.

Greenall

, Colonel, Lingholme, Keswick.

Greenall

, Major, The Old Rectory, Grappenhall.

Greene

, Mrs.

Turner

, Southworth House, Wigan.

Greenhalgh, Joseph Dodson

, Esq., Gladstone Cottage, Bolton.

Greenway, C.

, Esq., J.P., Darwen Bank, Darwen.

Greenwood, Charles

, Esq., 26, Aked’s Road, Halifax.

Groves, G. H.

, Esq., Kent Villa, Urmston, near Manchester.

Grundy, Alfred

, Esq., Whitefield, near Manchester.

Guest, W. H.

, Esq., 78, Cross Street, Manchester.

Hadfield, George

, Esq., 110, King Street, Manchester.

Hague, John Scholes

, Esq., White Hall, Chinley, Derbyshire.

Hall, Joshua

, Esq., Kingston House, Hyde.

Hall, John

, Esq., The Grange, Hale, Cheshire.

Hall, Robert

, Esq., Anes House, Hyde.

Halstead, Louis

, Esq., Redwaterfoot, Corneholme.

Hampson, William

, Esq., Rose Hill, Marple, Cheshire.

Hampson, J. R.

, Esq., Old Trafford.

Hampson, J. T.

, Esq., Solicitor, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Harlow

, Miss, Heaton Norris, Stockport

Hartley, William

, Esq., Greek Street, Stockport.

Hartley

, Mrs., Brierfield House, near Burnley.

Hartley, Job W.

, Esq., Westgate, Burnley.

Hardwick, C.

, Esq., 72, Talbot Street, Moss Side, Manchester.

Harwood

, Alderman

John J.

, Northumberland Street, Higher Broughton.

Haworth

, The Rev.

J. G.

, Tunsteads Vicarage, Stacksteads.

Haworth, S. E.

, Esq., Holyrood, restwich.

Haworth, Richard

, Esq., J.P., 28, High Street, Manchester.

Heginbottom, Thomas

, Esq., J.P., (Mayor), Stamford House, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Helsby, Thomas

, Esq., Lincoln’s Inn, London.

Hibbert, Henry

, Esq., Broughton Grove, Grange-over-Sands.

Hicks, John

, Esq., Mytton Hall, Whalley, Lancashire.

Higgins, Arthur

, Esq., King Street, Salford.

Higgins, James

, Esq., Woodhey, Kersal, Manchester.

Higson, Thomas

, Esq., Red Cliffe, Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Hill, T. D.

, Esq., Fairfield.

Hindley, Thomas

, Esq., Stockport.

Hirst, John

, Esq., Ladcastle, Dobcross.

Hodgson, T.

, Esq., Cravenholme, Didsbury.

Hooley, Samuel J.

, Esq., Manchester and Liverpool District Bank Limited, Tunstall.

Howe, James

, Esq., Bellfield House, Ashton-under-Lyne, near Manchester.

Hodgkinson, James B.

, Esq., Green Bank, Sale, Cheshire.

Hodgkinson, S.

, Esq., Marple, Cheshire.

Holden, Thomas

, Esq., Bolton.

Holmes, James

, Esq., Egerton Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.

Hornby, James

, Esq., Wigan.

Hyde, Walter

, Esq., Cromwell House, Heaton Chapel.

Ingham, B.

, Esq., York Chambers, Brasenose Street, Manchester.

Jackson, Alfred

, Esq., Burnley Lane, Burnley.

Jackson, B.

, Esq., Heathfield, Ashton-upon-Mersey.

Jackson, Hartley

, Esq., Pickup Terrace, Burnley.

Jackson, H. J.

, Esq., Ashton-under-Lyne (2 copies).

Johnson, J. A.

, Esq., 73, Albert Road, Southport.

Johnson, J. H.

, Esq., F.S.A., 73, Albert Road, Southport.

Jones, John Joseph

, Esq., Abberley Hall, Stourport.

Kay, Jacob

, Esq., 5, Booth Street, Manchester.

Keene, R.

Esq., Irongate, Derby.

Kettle, A. J.

, Esq., Addiscombe, Prestwich Park, near Manchester.

Kettle, W. C.

, Esq., Addiscombe, Prestwich Park.

Kenderdine, Frederick

, Esq., Morningside, Old Trafford.

Knott, James

, Esq., 55, Higher Ardwick, Manchester.

Knott, John

, Esq., Dartmouth House, Hurst, Cheshire.

Lancaster, Alf

, Esq., Manchester Road, Burnley.

Lawton, James Kinder

, Esq., Hazel Grove, near Stockport.

Leedham, F. H.

, Esq., Burnage Lane, near Manchester.

Leece, Joseph

, Esq., Mansfield Villa, Urmston, near Manchester..

Lees, Edward B.

, Esq., Kelbarrow, Grasmere.

Leigh, James

, Esq., 66, Deansgate, Manchester.

Lever, Ellis

, Esq., Culcheth Hall, Bowdon.

Lees, Samuel

, Esq., Park Bridge, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Leigh, John

, Esq., The Manor House, Hale, Cheshire.

Leigh, Charles

, Esq., Bank Terrace, Wigan.

Leyland, John

, Esq., The Grange, Hindley, near Wigan.

Libraries, Free Public

, Manchester.

Library, Free Public

, Town Hall, Rochdale.

Library, Free

, Peel Park, Salford.

Library, Free

, The Stockport.

Library, Free

, The Wigan.

Library, Free

, The Heywood, near Manchester.

Library, Free

, The Bolton-le-Moors.

Linfoot, Joseph

, Esq., Cannon Street, Manchester.

Lingard-Monk, Richard

, B. M., Esq., Fulshaw Hall, Wilmslow.

Lloyd, Thomas

, Esq., Brooklands House, Brooklands, Cheshire.

Long, John F.

, Esq., 135, Great Ancoats Street, Manchester.

Longden. A. W.

, Esq., Marple, Cheshire.

Longworth, Solomon

, Esq., Whalley, Lancashire.

Longshaw

, Mrs., Beech Priory, Southport.

Longton, Edward John

, Esq., M.D., The Priory, Southport.

Lord, Henry

, Esq., 42, John Dalton Street, Manchester.

Lupton, Arthur

, Esq., 136, Manchester Road, Burnley.

Lupton, Benjamin

, Esq., Cumberland Place, Burnley.

Lupton, Joseph Townend

, Esq., 28, Manchester Road, Burnley.

Lowe, J. W.

, Esq., St James’s Square, Manchester.

Marsden

, Rev. Canon, Great Oakley, Harwich, Essex.

Marsden

, The Rev.

W.

, Fullarton House, Upper Brook Street, M’chester.

Marshall, E. W.

, Esq., 38, Barton Arcade, Manchester.

Marson, Gervase

, Esq., Thorncliffe House, Higher Broughton, Manchester.

Marson, James

, Esq., High Cliffe, Warrington.

Massey, John

, Esq., J.P., Hawk’s House, near Burnley (2 copies).

Mayor’s Library

, The, Manchester, per Alderman Patteson.

McQuhae, William

, Esq., 5, Stamford Street, Brooks’s Bar, Manchester.

McKenna, Bernard

, Esq., Lea Grange, White Moss, Blackley, nr. M’chester.

McKerrow

, Alderman

John B.

, J.P., Norcliffe, Broughton Park.

Metcalf, William

, Esq., 2, Vernon Avenue, Eccles.

Middleton, Thomas

, Esq., Springfield, Adlington, Lancashire.

Midwood, G. H.

, 55, Faulkner Street, Manchester.

Mills, William

, Esq., 12, New Brown Street, Manchester.

Milner, George

, Esq., 57a, Mosley Street, Manchester.

Mitchell, William

, Esq., Brook Villa, Golbourne.

Moore, D.

, Esq., Woodville, Bramhall, Cheshire.

Moorhouse, Christopher

, Esq., 4, St Paul’s Road, Kersal, Manchester.

Morton, William

, Esq., 12, Brown Street, Manchester.

Mothersill, Edward

, Esq., Dane House, Sale, Cheshire.

Moulton, George

, Esq., Hall’s Crescent, Collyhurst.

Muirhead, Thomas S.

, Esq., Ash Lodge, Halliwell Lane, Cheetham.

Murray

, Alderman (the late), Apsley House, Hyde Road, Manchester.

Myers, Henry

, Esq., 140, Newcastle Street, Stretford Road, Manchester.

Napier, George W.

, Esq., Merchistoun, Alderley Edge.

Neal, William

, Esq., Ashton-under-Lyne.

Newton, Walter

, Esq., 69, Bridge Street, Manchester.

New, Philip N.

, Esq., 15, Baillie Street, Rochdale.

Norreys

, Miss, Davyhulme Hall, Lancashire.

Northcott, James B.

, Esq., King Street, Manchester.

Owen, William

, Esq., Palmyra Square, Warrington.

Park

, Rev.

R.

, M.A., 3, The Crescent, Salford.

Parker, Edward

, Esq., Browsholme Hall, Yorkshire.

Patteson

, Alderman, J.P., Victoria Park, Manchester.

Peacock, Richard

, Esq., Gorton Hall, near Manchester.

Perkins, Stanhope

, Esq., 6, Healey Terrace, Fairfield, near Manchester.

Phillips, John William

, Esq., Brown Hill, Burnley.

Phillips

, Miss, Welcombe, Stratford-on-Avon.

Piccles, Thomas L.

, Esq., Rock Cottage, New Mills, Derbyshire.

Pilkington, James

, Esq., Swinithwaite Hall, Bedale, Yorkshire.

Pink, Wm. Duncombe

, Esq., Leigh.

Pooley, C. J.

, Esq., Knutsford.

Pollitt, James

, Esq., Guide House, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Pooley, W. Ormsby

, Esq., J.P., Knutsford.

Portico Library

, The, Mosley Street, Manchester.

Potter, Rupert

, Esq., 2, Bolton Gardens, South Kensington, London, S.W.

Potts, Arthur

, Esq., Hoole Hall, Chester.

Preston, Thomas

, Esq., 92, Manchester Road, Burnley.

Raby, William

, Esq., 78, Cross Street, Manchester.

Ralphs, Samuel

, Esq., 56, Sandy Lane, Stockport.

Ramsbottom, G. H.

, Esq., Altham Hall, near Accrington.

Ramsbotham, John

, Esq., 22, Arbour Street, Southport (2 copies).

Rawsthorne, H.

, Esq., East Street, Preston.

Redhead, R. Milne

, Esq., Springfield, Seedley, Manchester (2 copies).

Richmond, T. G.

, Esq., Ford House, Prestbury.

Richmond, Fred

, Esq., 163, Radnor Street, Hulme, Manchester.

Richmond, James

, Esq., Mosely House, Burnley.

Rickards, Charles H.

, Esq., J.P., Seymour Grove. Old Trafford, Manchester.

Rigby, S.

, Esq.

Robinson, William

, Esq., The Hollies, Talbot Road, Old Trafford.

Robson, Thomas W.

, Esq., 18, Aytoun Street, Manchester.

Rooke, George

, Esq., Moorside, Sale.

Roundell, C. J.

, Esq., M.P., Osborne, Fernhurst, Hazlemere.

Royle, John

, Esq., 53, Port Street, Manchester.

Roylance, E. W.

, Esq., Brookfield, Bury Old Rd., Cheetham Hill, M’chester.

Rumney, Thomas

, Esq., Hallcroft Cottage, Carnforth.

Rushton, Thomas Lever

, Esq., Moor Platt, Horwich, near Bolton.

Ryder, T. D.

, Esq., St James’s Square, Manchester.

Rylands, J. Paul

, Esq., F.S.A., Highfields, Thelwall.

Rylands, W. Harry

, Esq., F.S.A., Biblical Archæological Society, 11, Hart Street, Bloomsbury, London.

Schunck, J. Edgar

, Esq., Wicken Hall, near Rochdale.

Severs, Fred

, Esq., 1, Dalton Terrace, Clayton St., Chorlton Rd., M’chester.

Scott, John Oldred

, Esq., 31, Spring Gardens, London, S.W.

Schofield, Thomas

, Esq., J.P, Thornfield, Old Trafford.

Shaw, Giles

, Esq., 72, Manchester Road, Oldham.

Shiers, George Alfred

, Esq., Tyntesfield, Ashton-upon-Mersey.

Shiers, Richard

, Jun., Esq., Earlscliffe, Bowdon, Cheshire.

Sidebotham, Joseph

, Esq., F.R.A.S., F.L.S., F.S.A., Erlesden, Bowdon, Cheshire.

Sitwell, R.

, Esq., Morley, Derby.

Slark, J.

and

A.

, Esqrs., 41, Fishergate, Preston.

Smeal, A.

, Esq., Ravensla, Whalley Road, Whalley Range, Manchester.

Smith, Aston W.

, Esq., The Old Hall, Bootle.

Smith, Bryce

, Esq., 16, Nicholas Street, Manchester.

Smith, George J. W.

, Esq., Savings Bank, Stockport.

Smith, James

, Esq., Highfield, Edge Lane, Chorlton-cum-Hardy.

Smith

, Rev.

J. Finch

, M.A., F.S.A., Aldridge Rectory, Walsall.

Smith, J.

, Jun., Esq., Legh Street, Warrington.

Smith, Robert Mcdowell

, Esq., Crumpsall, near Manchester.

Smith, William

, Esq., Adswood Grove, Stockport.

Smith, J. J.

, Esq., King Street, Manchester.

Sowler

, Lieut.-Colonel, Oak Bank, Victoria Park, Manchester.

Stanley, C. J.

, Esq., Halscote, Grange-over-Sands.

Stanton, Henry

, Esq., Greenfield, Thelwall.

Stevens, James

, Esq., F.R.I.B.A., Lime Tree House, Macclesfield.

Steinthal, H. M.

, Esq., The Hollies, Fallowfield, near Manchester.

Stubs, Peter

, Esq., Statham Lodge, Warrington.

Stanyer

, The Rev.

W.

, 41. Corporation Street, Manchester.

Starkey

, Miss, Northwich, Cheshire.

Stevens, Edward

, Esq., Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

Strangeway, William N.

, Esq., 59, Westmoreland Rd., Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Stanning

, Rev.

J. H.

, The Vicarage, Leigh.

Sutcliffe, Fred

, Esq., Ash Street, Bacup.

Syddall, James

, Esq., Chadkirk, Romily, Cheshire.

Taylor, Thomas

, Esq., 33, St. James Street, Burnley.

Thompson

, Alderman

Jos.

, J.P., Riversdale, Wilmslow.

Thorley, William

, Esq., Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Offices, Manchester.

Tolley, Thomas

, Esq., Warrington.

Topp, Alfred

, Esq., J.P., Farnworth.

Toulmin, George

, Esq, Guardian Office, Preston.

Turner, W.

, Esq., Rusholme.

Turner, John

, Esq., Woodville, Lytham.

Tweedale, Charles Lakeman

, Esq., Holmefield House, Crawshawbooth.

Underdown, R. G.

, Esq., M. S. & L. Railway Company, Manchester.

Waddington, William

, Esq., Market Superintendent, Burnley.

Waddington, Wm. Angelo

, Esq., 5, Carlton Road, Burnley.

Walkden

,—Esq., 16, Nicholas Street, Manchester.

Walker, Thomas

, Esq., Oldfield, Cheshire.

Walmesley, Oswald

, Esq., Shevington Hall, near Wigan.

Walsh

, Dr.

John

, Stonyhurst, near Whalley, Lancashire.

Walters, Charles

, Esq., Clegg Street, Oldham.

Warrington

, the Museum and Library.

Watterson, Wm. Craven

, Esq., Hill Carr, Bowdon, Cheshire.

Wainwright, John

, Esq., Carlton Lodge, Stretford.

Warburton, John

, Esq., Fairlie Villas, Raspberry Road, Fallowfield.

Warburton, Samuel

, Esq., Sunnyhill, Crumpsall, Manchester.

Warburton, Henry

, Esq., The Elms, Hendham Vale, Manchester.

Waters

,—Esq., Manchester.

Watts, James

, Esq., Portland Street, Manchester.

Watts, John

, Esq., 23, Cross Street, Manchester.

Webb, F. W.

, Esq., Chester Place, Crewe.

Webster, William

, Esq., Abbotsfield, St. Helens.

White, Charles

, Esq., Holly Villa, Warrington.

Whittaker, W. Wilkinson

, Esq., Cornbrook Park, Manchester.

Whitehead, Edwin

, Esq., The Hurst, Taunton Road, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Whittaker, Robert

, Esq., Birch House, Lees, near Manchester.

Wild, Robert

, Esq., 134, St. James’s Street, Burnley.

Wilkinson, A.

, Esq., Westbourne Grove, Harpurhey, Manchester.

Wilkinson, T. R.

, Esq., The Polygon, Ardwick, Manchester.

Wilkinson, John

, Esq., 25, Manor Street, Ardwick, Manchester.

Wilkinson, William

, Esq., M.A., Middlewood, Clitheroe.

Wilson, William

, Esq., Savings Bank, Stockport.

Wilson, C. M.

, Esq., Lancaster Villa, Broughton Park, Manchester.

Winterbotham, Henry

, Esq., F.R.C.S., Bury New Road, Manchester

Wolstenholme, Charles

, Esq., Richmond Hill, Bowdon, Cheshire.

Wood, John

, Esq., J.P., Arden, near Stockport,

Wood, Richard

, Esq., J.P., Plimpton Hall, Heywood, near Manchester.

Wood, William

, Esq., Woodville, Bramhall, Cheshire.

Wood, W. C.

, Esq., Brimscall Hall, Chorley, Lancashire.

Worthington, Ed.

, Esq., Appley Bridge, near Wigan.

Woodhouse, George

, Esq., Heath Bank, Chorley New Road, Bolton.

Wood, Robert

, Esq., Drywood Hall, Worsley.

Worthington

, Alderman

T.

, 33, Church Street, Manchester.

Wright, E., Abbott

, Esq., Castle Park, Frodsham, Cheshire.

Yates, J. W.

, Esq., Ashton-upon-Mersey.

Yeoman, John

, Esq., 30, Union Street, Ardwick, Manchester.

BOOKSELLERS.

Table of Contents

Bemrose & Sons

, Derby.

Brown & Sons

, Macclesfield.

Butler, S.

, Altrincham.

Burghope & Strange

, Burnley.

Burgess, Henry

, Northwich.

Cooke

, Stretford Road, Manchester.

Cornish, J. E.

, Piccadilly and St. Ann’s Square, Manchester.

Dodgson, J.

, Leeds.

Day, T. J.

, Market Street, Manchester.

Dooley, Henry

, Stockport.

Galt, J. & Co.

, Corporation Street, Manchester.

Gray, Henry

, Topographical Bookseller, 25, Cathedral Yard, Manchester.

Grundy

, 68, Woodhouse Lane, Wigan.

Howell, E.

, Liverpool.

Holden, Adam

, 48, Church Street, Liverpool.

Heywood, Abel & Son

, Oldham Street, Manchester.

Kenyon, W.

, Newton Heath, Manchester.

Littlewood, James

, Ashton-under-Lyne.

Lupton, J. & A.

, Burnley.

Minshull & Hughes

, Chester.

Pearse, J. C.

, Southport.

Pearse, Percival

, Warrington.

Phillipson & Golder

, Chester.

Platt, Richard

, Wigan.

Rider

, Leek.

Roworth

, St Ann’s Square, Manchester.

Robinson

, Preston.

Smith, W. H. & Son

, 1, New Brown Street, Manchester.

Smith, W. H. & Son

, L. & N.W. Railway and M.S. & L. Railway Bookstalls, London Road Station, Manchester.

Stock, Elliot

, 62, Paternoster Row, London, E.C.

Tubbs & Brook

, Market Street, Manchester.

Trübner & Co.

, London.

Walmsley, G. G.

, 50, Lord Street, Liverpool.

Yabsley & Co.

, Sale, Cheshire.

NOOKS AND CORNERS

OF

LANCASHIRE AND CHESHIRE.

CHAPTER I.

A RAILWAY RAMBLE—THE ROMAN CITY ON THE RIBBLE—A DAY-DREAM AT RIBCHESTER.

Table of Contents

On

a bright morning in the exuberant summer time, ere the country had lost the freshness of its earlier beauty, or the forest trees had begun to bend beneath the weight of their blushing burdens, we found ourselves on the platform of the Victoria Station with a friend, the companion of many a pleasant wandering, equipped for a journey to the fair country which skirts the base of Pendle Hill. We were both in high spirits, and the beauty of the opening day added to our enjoyment The morning was cool and clear, and radiant with the early sunshine—one of those genial days when, as Washington Irving says, we seem to draw in pleasure with the very air we breathe, and to feel happy we know not why—the invigorating freshness of the atmosphere giving a pleasant impulse to the spirits. There had been a slight fall of rain during the night, but the breeze which followed had dried up the roadways, and now all was bright and clear, and the unclouded sun poured down a flood of brilliance that added to the charms of the early morn, imparting a gladdening influence which even the sparrows seemed to share as they flitted to and fro about the eaves with unceasing twitter.

For some distance the railway is carried over the house-tops, and as the train speeds along we can look down upon the dreary web of streets, the labyrinth of dwellings, the groves of chimneys, the mills, workshops, and brick-kilns, and the strange admixture of squalor, wretchedness, and impurity that go to make up the royal borough of Salford. Soon we reach the outskirts, where the country still struggles to maintain its greenness; then, after a short stoppage at Pendleton, we enter upon the pleasant vale of Clifton, where we are enabled to breathe the balmy atmosphere and drink in the fresh fragrance of the flower-bespangled meads. Pleasant is it to escape from the gloomy hives of brick, with their busy human throng, and to look abroad upon the expanse of country reposing in the summer sunshine. The gentle showers of the night seem to have refreshed the thirsty soil, and to have given an invigorating aspect to the landscape, imparting to the turf a brighter hue, and to the trees which clothe the folding bluffs a brighter tinge of colouring, whilst the sunlight gleams upon the fields and on the already ripening grain, and sparkles upon the lingering rain-drops that hang like strings of pearls from every bush and twig. On the left the quaint old hall of Agecroft, with its picturesque black and white gables, twinkles through the wind-shaken leaves; the Irwell meanders pleasantly through the fertile meadows on the right; and beyond, the grey embattled tower of Prestwich Church may be seen rising prominently above the umbraged slopes that bound the opposite side of the valley.

On, on we go with a screech and a roar, rattling over viaducts, rumbling through rocky cuttings, rushing along steep embankments; then rolling rapidly again over the level country, from whence we can look back upon the dingy town of Bolton, memorable in the annals of the great civil war as the place where the martyr Earl of Derby sealed his loyalty with his life. The changing aspect of the country now becomes manifest. Every mile brings a fresh picture, and the variety itself adds to the interest of the journey. The land is prettily featured—green and undulating, with well-wooded cloughs and shady dingles, backed by lofty gritstone ridges, which here and there soften into slopes of fertile beauty that form an admirable relief to the pale blue hills which stretch away to the furthest point of distance. Just before reaching the station at Chapeltown we get sight of Turton Tower, a fine old relic of bygone days, once the home of Manchester’s most noted worthy—Humphrey Chetham—and for a time, as tradition tells us, the abode of Oliver Cromwell; and close by is a picturesque gabled summer-house, surmounting a gentle eminence, that forms a conspicuous object for miles around. Still onward, past scattered hamlets, past mills, bleachworks, and collieries; past farms, cottages, and old-fashioned timber-built dwellings that more or less merit the appellation of hall applied to them; past meadows, fields, and pastures, where the hedgerows and trees seem to revolve in a never-ending reel, while the telegraph wires that stretch from post to post rise and fall in a succession of graceful genuflexions. On, on! Small streams are crossed, bridges are shot through, and then the express thunders past with a deafening roar, almost terrifying the life out of a nervous old lady who sits opposite to us, and who, on recovering her breath, feels instinctively inside her left-hand glove to make sure that her ticket has not been spirited away by the fiery iron monster. Darwen—cold, stony-looking Darwen—is passed, and presently Blackburn is reached, where a few minutes is considerately allowed to stretch our legs and look about us. The prospect, however, is not altogether lovely, and the people are as little prepossessing in appearance as the place itself, so that we are not sorry when our brief respite is brought to an abrupt termination by the sharp Now then, gentlemen, of the guard, when, resuming our seats, the carriage door is slammed to by that energetic official.

A few puffs, a whistle, and a screech, and we are moving swiftly over the green landscape again. The meadows widen, and the trees and hedges fly past as if driven by the whirlwind. Onwards, on and on, until we reach the little roadside station that forms the terminus of our railway journey.

Ribchester, for that is the name of the station, is Ribchester station only by courtesy[1]—the old Roman town whose name has been somewhat unceremoniously appropriated being a good three miles away; so that we shall have to lengthen our walk considerably before we reach the Roman Rigodunum. On leaving the station we turn to the left, and then, crossing the railway bridge, follow an ascending path that leads past a few squalid-looking cottages which stand irregularly along the edge of a tract of common land—the grazing ground of an impassive donkey and of a flock of geese that begin to sibilate and crane their necks spitefully as we go by. A little brick chapel with a bell-cot at one end stands on the further side of the green, and close by is the village school. Leaving this uninviting spot, we continue our walk past a few waste-looking fields and across the level summit of an eminence the verdant slopes of which stretch away on either side. Presently the road descends, winding hither and thither between pleasant hedgerows and embossed banks, garlanded with the gaily-coloured flowers of the exuberant summer time, the jewels of earth’s diadem, speaking of Him

Whose hand hath shed wild flowers

In clefts o’ the rock, and clothed green knolls with grass,

And clover, and sweet herbs and honey dews,

Shed in the starlight bells, where the brown bees

Draw sweets.

At every turn we get pretty snatches of scenery, with glimpses of cattle-dappled pastures and green fields, where the black, glossy rooks are hovering about and cawing loudly to each other as if discussing the result of their recent entomological researches. Looking across the country the high downs are seen with their broad green cloud-mottled shoulders, half-hiding the undulating hills that stretch away along the dim blue line of the horizon. By-and-by Ribblesdale, one of the prettiest vales in the kingdom, opens upon us. Below, the river winds its snake-like course through the meadows, its ample bosom gleaming in the sun like molten silver. On the right, lying low among the tall ash-trees, is Salesbury Hall, a quaint half-timbered mansion, once the abode of a branch of the great family of the Talbots, one of whom aided in the capture of the unfortunate Henry VI., and previously the home successively of the Salesburys, the Cliderhows, and the Mauleverers. Conspicuous on the further side of the valley are seen the stately towers of Stonyhurst crowning a wooded slope, that swells gradually up from the margin of the Hodder, forming one of the spurs of Longridge Fell. Looking up the valley, the eye takes in the long-backed slopes of Pendle Hill, the abrupt elevation on which stands the ruined keep of Clitheroe Castle, the wooded heights of Wiswell and Whalley, the dark-hued moorlands that extend to the ancient forests of Bowland, with Bleasdale Moor, Waddington Fell, and the screen of hills that sweep round in an irregular circle to meet the huge form of Longridge Fell lying upon the landscape like a monster couchant.

A quaint relic of the olden time stands by the wayside on the left. A gabled mansion of the time of the Second Charles, now occupied by a farmer, but still bearing the name of New Hall, though, as the date (1665) testifies, the storms of more than two hundred winters have broken upon it since George Talbot, a younger son of Sir John of that name, placed his initials and the crest of his family above the doorway. At this point the road diverges to the right, and a few paces bring us to the margin of the Ribble, when a charming prospect meets the eye, a prospect that would have delighted the heart of Cuyp had he had the opportunity of sketching it. There was no stir or fret—no excitement. All was calm, placid, and serene. The swift and shallow Ribble lay before us, sparkling and glistening all over, save on the further side, where a row of trees that fringed the roadway flung the broad shadows of their spreading branches upon its placid bosom. There was a Sabbath-like peace in the air, and the stillness of a summer day lay profoundly as a trance upon the scene. An old-fashioned punt, moored to the side, lazily dragged its creaking chain, and now and then chafed itself against the bank as the motion of the water gently swayed it to and fro. Before us Ribchester Bridge lay bestriding the stream—its broad circular arches reflected in the water with a distinct vividness that was interrupted only at intervals when their image was broken into a quivering indistinctness as a passing gust rippled the mirrored bosom of the water. As we stood gazing upon the scene, a boat borne by the current slowly glided down the river, looking like a bird suspended in the blue of heaven. The oars were poised in the rowlocks, and the water, dripping from their flashing blades, fell upon the glassy surface, and spread out in widening silver rings that floated slowly onwards.

RIBCHESTER BRIDGE.

Crossing the bridge, at the foot of which stands a comfortable inn—the De Tabley Arms—we wound away to the left, following the bold sweep of the Ribble, and a few moments later entered the Aunciente Towne of Ribchester. Ribchester! What visions of antiquity float before the imagination as the stranger enters this little unpretending village, for town it can now hardly be called. What memories of the past are awakened at the mere mention of the name. The old distich, which the inhabitants still take pride in repeating, tells us that

It is written upon a wall in Rome

Ribchester was as rich as any toune in Christendome. [2]

The first glimpse, even were we unsupported by tradition, would lead us to believe that this part of the valley of the Ribble was even in earliest times a place of some importance, for, admirably protected by Nature, and adapted as it must then have been to the requirements of an untamed and uncivilised race, it was hardly likely to have escaped the searching eye of our Celtic forefathers, being then protected by naked marshes, and flanked on each side by lofty eminences, with a wide river between on which their slim coracles might float; whilst adjacent was the great forest of Bowland, the haunt of the wolf, the boar, and other wild animals, whose skins would supply clothing, and their flesh sustenance, to the hardy hunter. Whether the primeval Britons established a colony here or not, certain it is that when the more refined subjects of the Cæsars had established themselves as conquerors of the country, Ribchester attained to a high degree of eminence, and became one of the richest and most important stations in the newly-acquired territory. For the greater protection and security of the conquered lands in the North, Agricola constructed a chain of forts from one extremity of Lancashire to the other, and occupying the sites now held by Lancaster, Ribchester, Walton, Blackrod, Manchester, Overborough, and Colne. The most important of these stations, as evidenced by the richness and variety of the remains that have at different times been discovered, was the one at Ribchester. The place lost its pre-eminence after the fall of the Roman government in Britain, but the foundation of its buildings long defied the ravages of time, though now the searching eye can scarce discover the faintest relic of their former existence. Leland, the old topographer, who visited the place in the early part of the 16th century, says: Ribchester is now a poore thing; it hath beene an Auncient Towne. Great squared stones, voultes, and antique coynes be found ther: and ther is a place wher that the people fable wher that the Jues had a temple.[3] No doubt the temple existed, for the remains of it have been traced in later times, but it was Pagan and not Jewish, and was dedicated, as Dr. Whitaker supposed from an inscription found upon the site, by an empress or princess of the Imperial Roman family to the goddess Minerva. Ribchester has been prolific in remains of Roman art, and many of the altars, statues, bronzes, and antique coynes that have been dug up have been carried away to enrich the archæological museums of other parts of the country, or have found their way into those of private collectors, where they are practically lost to the student of antiquity, for, unfortunately, there is hardly a town in Lancashire which possesses a museum worthy of the name where such exhumed treasures might find a fitting resting-place. Pennant mentions having seen a sculpture, discovered on digging a grave in the churchyard, representing a Roman soldier carrying a labarum, or standard of cavalry; but perhaps the most remarkable relic is the elaborately ornamented bronze helmet found in 1796, familiar to antiquaries by the engravings which have appeared in the Vetusta Monumenta, and in the histories of Whitaker and Baines. So lately as the beginning of the present century a Roman house and hypocaust were brought to light whilst excavating the foundations for a building on the banks of the river; altars dedicated to various divinities have on different occasions been unearthed, with other memorial stones, coins, pottery, glass, articles of personal adornment, ampullæ, fibulæ, &c; and even in recent times, though less frequently than of yore, when the earth is removed to any considerable depth relics are turned up which help to illustrate the habits and customs of the Roman settlers, and prove the wide diffusion of the elegant and luxurious modes of life it was their aim to introduce.

It requires no great stretch of the imagination to picture the Ribchester of those far-off days. The picture, it is true, may be only shadowy and indistinct seen through the long distance which intervenes; but, carrying the mind back to those remote times, let us contemplate the scene presented to our fancied gaze. It is Britain—Britain in the darkest period of its history, the Britain of Caractacus and Boadicea—but how great the contrast from the Britain of to-day! A broad flowing river separates us from the opposite land, the tide flows up, and the wavelets break monotonously upon the shore. Before us and on each side rise gently swelling hills clothed with dense forests of oak—primeval monarchs that have budded and flourished and shed their leaves through long centuries of silent solitude. There are no towns or villages, no fertile meadows and rich pasture fields; not a sign of a habitation can we discern save here and there where the dark woods have been thinned, and a solitary hut, rudely constructed of wood and wattles, bears evidence of man’s existence. Looking more closely into the picture, we can discover the naked and painted forms of human beings—men eager, impetuous, brave, armed with javelin and spear, and ready to engage with any chance foe that may cross their path whilst seeking for their prey among the wild beasts of their native woods.

Gradually the view dissolves. Softly, slowly, it fades away, and darkness overspreads the scene. Hark! The sound of distant strife breaks faintly upon the ear; there is a rumble of war chariots and the hollow tramp of legionaries; then a fire blazes on the top of Longridge Fell, lighting up the heavens with a ruddy glare; the signal is answered by successive flashes from Pendle Hill and from beacons more remote. In a moment the scene is alive with the forms of men armed with spear and shield, hurrying to and fro, brandishing their javelins with impatient haste, eager to meet the coming foe. Meanwhile the conquering eagles of imperial Rome are seen advancing. Cohort follows cohort, and legion succeeds to legion. With measured pace and steady tread they come. There is the shock of mortal combat; the valley echoes with the clang of arms and the fell shout of war; and Briton and Roman are struggling together for conquest and for life.

The hardy Briton struggled with his foe,

Dared him to battle on the neighb’ring height;

And dusky streamlets reddened with the flow

From heroes dying for their country’s right.

Their simple weapons ’gainst the serried ranks,

Full disciplined in war, were hurled in vain;

Well greaved and helmeted, the firm phalanx

Received their fierce attack in proud disdain.

It is over. Undisciplined valour yields to superior military skill, and the heroic Britons, defeated but not subdued, are driven for refuge within the fastnesses of their native woods, leaving those green slopes crimsoned with the life-blood of a people who, if they knew not how to fight, knew at least how valiant men should die.

Another tableau of history succeeds. Order arises out of disorder. After many struggles, in which her greatest generals have taken part, Rome, by her obstinate bravery, has succeeded in carrying her eagles northward as far as the banks of the Tay. The line of conquest is marked by a chain of forts erected with masterly judgment to keep in check the more disaffected of the northern tribes, and these strongholds are connected by a network of military ways, the course of which, after a lapse of eighteen centuries, may still be discerned—a proof that the Roman road makers were no despicable engineers.

One of these military ways—the one from Mancunium (Manchester)—led through Ribchester, and, passing Stoneygate, climbed the rugged slopes of Longridge Fell and along the tops of the hills, whence, taking an easterly direction, it traversed the Forest of Bowland, and thence continued to Eboracum (York). Though their levels were chosen on different principles, the lines they followed were indicated by the great features of nature, and were pretty much the same as those adopted by the makers of our modern iron roads. Long centuries after the Roman had taken his departure these military roads formed the great highways of traffic. The tracks traversed by Agricola and his victorious legionaries have since been trodden in succession by Pict and Scot, by Plantagenet and Tudor, by Cavalier and Roundhead, by the hapless followers of the ill-fated Stuart, and by the ruthless soldiery of the Hanoverian King, and in later and more peaceful times by long lines of pack-horses, laden with the products of the Lancashire looms.

Agricola, having now satisfied his thirst for military glory, has become a pacificator and law-giver in the newly-acquired provinces. The subjugated natives, attracted by the fame of the illustrious Roman, steal from their hiding places in the woods, and learn the manners and customs of civilisation, and with them, it is to be feared, vices which before they knew not of.

Turn we again. Another picture dawns upon us, dimly and obscurely enough at first, but becoming more distinctly visible as the darkness fades away. The appearance of the people is changed, and the aspect of the country has changed with them. Time has passed on—the river that we before gazed upon still flows on as of yore, though somewhat narrowed in its proportions. The woods now ring with the war clarion of the invincible auxiliaries; the wattled huts have disappeared; and in the assart space they occupied a flourishing city is seen, with halls and porticoes and